i'm 500 pounds, day 45 on diet and 0 weight change

im feeling pretty frustrated on the 4hb right now. im sticking to my no cheat days and enjoying my saturday with whatever i want. this is a (somewhat typical, i may change lunch or dinner around) day during the non cheat days:

breakfast: (pretty much stays the same every day, give or take the bacon)

4 eggs (and tbsp or 2 of oil for cooking)

3 strips of bacon

10oz frozen spinach

1tbsp grease for flavor (from cooked meat during the week)

around 1000 calories

lunch: (listing a couple different ones ive had)

a little over a pound of grilled sirloin steak (doesnt have much fat marbled through it)

snack (i have this about half the time. if i do have it, i eat a lighter dinner)

head of roasted califlower or broccoli

some oil, salt and pepper (or curry powder)

maybe 400 calories

dinner (going to list a couple ive had)

2-3 chicken breasts with a homemade basil pesto (pesto in freezer since summer)

700-1000 calories (depending on breast and how much pesto i use)

(i only have this once a week as a treat)

6 chicken thighs baked and marinated in water and a old bay (salt and paprika)

a little franks red hot sauce dashed on top after eating

900 calories

ive been measuring my weight for about 3 weeks (yes i know i should have started sooner) and my weight goes down for the whole week, but after my cheat day, its back where i started on the previous sunday. over these 3 weeks i'm MAYBE down 1 pound overall.

in the morning im also having a half lieter of ice water, wait 10 mins, then 1tbsp almond butter. after that i take a shower then end with about 5 minutes of mid 70 degree water.

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

1. if im not sure what to eat, i choose meat. i know this is a pretty meat/protein heavy diet, so one thought is i need to eat more vegetables, OR that i should be eating beans. i thought at least once in the book he told someone to eat beans and they started loosing weight again.

2. i may have that breakfast meal 1.5-2 hours AFTER i get up in the morning. thats just because of morning rituals and/or putting out fires as soon as i get in to work.

3. cut down on the fats? i dont think i'm eating OVERLY fatty stuff but that's one half assed idea that i can somewhat entertain as a reason this isnt working.

4. (edit) after looking at some similar posts people ask about one's water intake. i'd say mine is around 2L a day.

im not worried about falling off the wagon, im just pissed nothing, NOTHING has really happened with me yet. almost 3 weeks and im not seeing a change.

Dude, does not take much brain to add that up, that is 5000+ calories a day. If I eat that I would have 500lb too in no time. If you want to have 200lb eat 2000 calories like 200lb people do. You can focus on excuses or focus on results. I know that you are here to get some support and empathy. Everybody is politically correct, loving and speak softly not to hurt your feelings. But I think that is what did get you there in first place. Making it O.K. I think is what you do need is wake up slap, not empathy. Kick in the butt, and not sympathy. Get some thin friends that will make your life miserable each time you start stuffing yourself. Take picture of yourself in speedo and stick it on your fridge. Go to gym in bicycle thigh shorts. Ask all of your friends to tease you on every occasion. Make your size most disturbing thing in your mind, so unbearable that you can not take your own excuses anymore. Then turn your anger into determination. Set your goal never to feel that way. EVER.

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The Best Answer

Okay man, this is gonna be brutal, but its like they say, if you want different results, you will have to change your approach.

Eat only lean meats, and lots of vegetables and beans. That means cut out the grease entirely (throw it away, you don't need it in you), cut out the bacon entirely (its mostly fat, thats why it tastes so good), cut out the egg yolks (maybe leave 1 in for flavor), and when you are cooking, don't use oil, use a cooking spray. Also, cut out the sausage, the ribs, and that almond butter-- its probably not helping much since you're eating huge meals after it anyway.

You mention your default food item is meat-- change that to broccoli or spinach. Eat tons of that stuff, with a LITTLE bit of meat to go a long with it. I say "little", because what is a "Normal" portion for you, is double what my portions are. Use your own judgement on what that would be, but I'd say draw the line at 2 chicken breasts in a meal. In fact, it might be good to stay away from beef and pork for a while, since those usually have a lot more fat than chicken. A pound of steak is a lot. I might have one half of a slice of a skillet steak, and eat that on a bed of spinach with beans.

Finally, on your cheat day, reduce it to ONE cheat MEAL, and that day have it with coffee and lots of water.

I made no progress for my first 3 weeks as well, and I had to seriously evaluate what I was doing wrong-- drinking diet soda, eating cheese, etc. The Slow Carb Diet is easier than most others, but within limits. You've got a higher starting point than most of the rest of us, but I think that once you figure out the changes you need to make, and stick to them, you will show amazing progress. You have already shown the dedication, now its just a matter of tweaking it to get the results you deserve.

All Answers

I'm going to throw in a little extra to what people have said. I've been testing how I eat in relation to my fullness feeling. When I make mashed beans, I eat with a fork and I finish my meal faster. When I have normal beans, I use chopsticks and it's a much slower way to eat. Slowing down may help you a lot as it's makes me feel fuller from the same amount of food. So I would suggest, in addition to what other people are suggesting, is cutting your food into small pieces when cooking, and using chopsticks to eat! It automatically adds about 10 minutes to my eating time, and makes me feel more full. It might help you too!

Wow, that's a wonderful idea. I eat much less when I eat with chopsticks. That's why when i go to these all-you-can-eat barbecue places they have here, I steal chopsticks from the sushi bar. Eating slower helps your brain keep up with your stomach fulness.

I'm going out tomorrow and getting myself some cute plastic chopsticks first thing!

Well, First off their seems to be very little wrong with any of the individual ingredients. Fat is an essential macro-nutrient no matter what anyone says.

However, this is supposed to be a very veggie heavy diet. 60% Vegetables.

I'm a big proponent of fat for cooking as well.

Every cell in our body is made of Saturated fat we need it. However we are bad at making quality Saturated fat. The best makers of this are animals, that's why we eat them. Today though they are fed with corn and corn by products making their fat inferior.

If you wish to continue eating animals in the quantities provided you will need to buy grass fed cows and cage free eggs. You cannot find these in your local super market(The labels all say cage free but corn fed) , whole foods, is the only reliable vendor nationwide. You will have to find local farmers. Go to the source. All natural farmers are proud and will let you see their farms.

Fat from these animals is not a problem. The grease you have is probably not from them though and is the bad kind of saturated fat. I understand that you've been saving the grease for flavor, you probably like cast iron cookware like myself too. Unless every ounce of it was made from a healthy field raised animal it isn't good for you. It was probably made from an animal that was force fed and not allowed to walk much at all. It lived unhealthily and you are eating its unhealthiness. So toss the grease collection and start over.

If there aren't any quality farms where you live I would highly suggest moving.

Food these days is utter crap without knowing your source you are probably hurting yourself. It never hurts to be informed.

I would also suggest avocado oil for steaks and macadamia for other meats. Grapeseed oil is excellent on veggies. Olive oil is good but most of it is rancid in stores. Buy it in a metal container if you can and keep for prep in dark glass because Light kills olive oil.

Your protein intake is fine if you eat the proper amount of veggies Considering your portions you will need about 6-7 lbs of extra veggies If you can do that you'll lose weight guaranteed. That would take me about 9 hours to eat.

Considering your weight and the fact that you can move around freely must mean you have a serious caloric requirement and an unbelievable BMR due to muscle mass. So you are probably going to need some high protein to not go into starvation mode. You are also a rather massive individual so you will probably need to double your water intake.

The only way I've found that's reliable for me is to set the stopwatch to half an hour and drink a bottle of water, or every 15 minutes to drink half.

Get a food scale, the one Tim recommends is marvelous and track your intake food. Go get the bod pod measurements, and track those too.

For every ounce of animal you eat, eat an equal number of beans, and 3x that amount in veggies. Those are the proper proportions for the diet.

Your cheat day is mostly fruits which are natures candy.

oh and make sure the beans, if canned, have no salt added. Doesn't mean no salt in the dish it just means it hasn't been sitting in salt for however long its been in the can.

so you are also advocating LOTS OF THE GODS DAM VEGETABLES. hmm, lately ive slipped back into equal portions of meat, beans and veg. in the couple of months since thread started i thought beans + meat got the metabolisim going and veges were just healthy filler. i didnt think they were that key to the success.

First off, congrats on getting started on getting taking care of those excess pounds and getting yourself healthy. There is lots of help out there and you can do this. Everyone has made great suggestions but mostly, you are not doing the 4-Hour Body Slow carb diet. Please re-read the book and really try to limit your sodium intake as well. It takes a lot of us some tweaking to get this down. I'm glad you asked for help. Let us know how it goes. Good luck!

I was distressed about the calorie counting as well. You only really have to do it for a few weeks until you learn what the portion sizes are that are giving you the results you want. It's not forever. I am using dailyburn.com. Super helpful and easy.

- Cut out that 1TBSP of grease at breakfast. Not necessary, doesn't help any. If you want results, not everything in this diet will be tasty

- Its okay to eat till you're full, but I think you're taking in too much protein. A rule of thumb: don't eat any more meat than your hand (minus fingers!!! palm?). Cut out that extra meat and put beans in there instead (Ex: Black, Pinto, Lentils). I like to think of a well-balanced meal (aside from bfast cause you need a lot of protein) being 50% veggies, 25% meat, and 25% beans. Even if beans end up being higher, as long as you're eating beans and not meats, this will help! I think this will make a HUGE difference!

- Try sticking with healthier meats. Cut out the sausage, replace bacon with turkey bacon. Try to stick with organic/hormone free. The less grease and crap that comes out of it, the better.

- Be careful with hidden sodium and sugars in your food! I've got a bad feeling the tomato/pasta sauce you mentioned is high in both. It's soo important to read the nutrition facts AND the ingredients!

You should try to drink cold water immediately upon waking up, and eating your bfast within 30 minutes after that.

Again, I think the biggest flaw in your meals is that there are no beans, and you're just intaking a -LOT- of protein! I think this woulda worked with Atkins (along with following the other rules it listed, I'm not 100% savvy on them), but for this diet you need the meat AND the beans AND the veggies!

doing some cold water therapy, at least 500ml water at waking, and 5 mins cold shower once a day. i doubt the hidden sugar in my pasta sauce, because i made it myself and didnt put any in it.
what if i cut bacon from breakfast but kept the grease?

-NO GREASE-! Remember, you want results right? Like I mentioned before, a diet to really help you cut weight isn't meant to be tasty, and it isn't meant to be easy. Sacrifice is necessary! Hang in there, the first days of this will be rough!

There is nothing wrong with healthy fats on this diet, which includes animal fats (and bacon grease) from healthy, grass fed animals, OR Grapeseed, Macadamia, or Olive oil. These fats are necessary nutrients, and are part of making your food tasty along with spices. The "no fat" mantra has been pounded into us for so many years by the media that people just default to that viewpoint whenever they hear the word "diet", but Tim proved that the low fat diets were part of the cause of obesity.

I only buy free-farmed bacon, for ethical reasons, but even that is not grass-fed. No pork products will be, as the guy from the company explained. They simply can't grow big enough on grass. Your only choice is buying wild pork. So I am cutting down the bacon and buying less fatty cuts.

Hey! Firstly, what a great community 4HP is - look at the support you're getting! Knowing others out there are in the same boat and willing to help makes such a difference. When I doubt my meal, even when out at a restaurant, I think of a little rule I call bean-green-lean (a bit twee I know but it helps to remember). Really easy at buffets, too, because you can just skip past the nasty stuff. "1/3 bean (bean salad with no dressing for example), 1/3 green (salad) and 1/3 lean (protein: chicken breast, egg, beef strips)." I had Mexican last night! All SCD legit, and I felt like I was cheating even though I wasn't! You just have to remember to eat only til you're full, too. I try to keep around 400-600 cals per meal, but everyone will be different depending on starting weight. Someone here on 4HP is using chopsticks to help slow down your meal (20-30min to eat - SLOW). Good luck, and keep us posted!!

I gotta give you a huge kudo for stepping up to the challenge ahead of you. All the suggestions are spot on but I'd like to contribute to your quest a little different advice.

Consider your situation a life changer. Yes, ultimately a complete lifestyle makeover. But to be successful you must take things one step and a time and build on successes. For you, those successes initially will not be pounds, inches, nor reps and sets of exercise.

Your successes will be small weekly changes to your lifestyle.

Start with each week being an experiment. Start with a small change and congratulate yourself for sticking with that change for the week. I started with cutting out sugar (that includes reading labels and not eating things with sugar, fructose, maltose, dextrose, any-ose, in the ingredients. Next week drop the diet sodas, and other drinks for plain or unsweetened lemon water.

Each week congratulate yourself and add another component of the SCD (Slow Carb Diet).

One week you might want to include some exercise. Wall pushups or leg raises are a good start. I started with just one (1) per day. Yes, it can be that easy.

Keep the lifestyle changes growing and you'll find the body shrinking. Focus on the small lifestyle changes and let the weight take care of itself. Before you know it you'll be at the gym trimming the last few pounds off your new body.

What great advice. The SCD is all about a lifestyle change, after all, and a 'diet' not so much. For people who are more significantly overweight, slow changes of life-long habits are more likely to stick, than sudden and aggressive changes to the diet.

A couple things I noticed besides what has been mentioned like using mostly egg whites and only one whole egg and taking out the bacon and grease. You seem like a great cook and most of your techniques are geared towards maximizing the meat/sausage kinds of flavors in your meals.

Take advantage of that and use those methods in creating meals with very flavored veggies. cut up your chicken breast or meat to enhance the flavors of the vegetables you are making. Like in a stir fry or vegetable casserole. If you leave your chicken breast or steak whole you unconsciously neglect vegetables and legumes while focusing on the "prize"

Also you may not notice it but your portions are very large but legumes don't seem to make up very much of them. As someone who eats until full in order to be satisfied I think beans and lentils are invaluable. I know other people are curbing them back to lose a little more weight but i definitely NEEDED them as a crutch to fill myself while i corralled my overindulgence problem. Days where i didn't eat them were a lot harder and i definitely overcompensated with meat.

Beans and lentils take on flavor incredibly well and in those cases a little meat goes a long way.

1. You're eating way, way, way too much protein and not nearly enough vegetables. Since you seem to like spinach, add a serving of it to all your meals, including lunch. Also, you don't need this much meat, and you don't need the grease for breakfast. The diet is focused on protein, yes, but there is such a thing as too much of it, and there's also too much fat, neither of which you need at this stage. I'm guessing you're used to large quantities (as most of us were/are or we wouldn't be in a position where we need to lose weight in the first place), but this is your chance to teach your body to get used to less quantity while giving it full need. Don't worry about hunger, this goes away after 24 hours if there is any at all. Beans will also be important since they're what keeps you not-hungry in between meals, but limit them to 1 cup a meal at first.

2. Do you know, or have you checked, for things such as thyroid dysfunction? Despite my previous comment, looking at your caloric intake alone, you should've lost at least some more weight than that in the last month. I would recommend getting a blood check up to know where you're at. But this is less relevant than number 1 (in my opinion) since 2 can be taken care of through number 1 even if you don't know whether or not there are any issues.

At your starting weight, you're supposed be dropping weight like crazy at first.

i can tell im eating less than before diet. i was just fine with all the spinach because of the animal fat (tasted like meat not spinach). i was afraid of peas because they had like 50 carbs a bag, are peas fine?

I would guess that youre gaining muscle weight and losing fat right now so its going to be a while until you can get your engines up and running and tip the scale so the fat starts going away faster. You gotta get your thigh muscles going with the kettlebell squats, those are the biggest muscles in the body and they will kick things into overdrive. Just do them 2 or 3 times a week as suggested in the book and you'll feel the difference.

Muscle is heavier than fat so don't worry about the number you see on the scale, just get those muscles working and it will happen.

I was reading through some of the answers and wonder how your doing now. I know it can be frustrating and you want to give up but a lot of people had great answers and it really comes down to lifestyle changes. My loss is slow but my inches are apparent.

my lowest weight has been 455, i was 458 this am. def making progress, slower than i wanted. trying to only have cheat day when i loose 5 lbs. this means 1 cheat day per 2 or 3 weeks. not sure if im doing some big thing wrong still. glad ive made some progress, hope to make more.

I would make sure to have at least a cheat meal per week or once every 10 days. The cheat day/meal is important in order to keep your body from going into stravation mode. When you reduce the amount of Calories you are getting for a period of time your body unsure of when it's next meal with come stores fat. The cheat day/meal helps to keep your body from doing this. Hope this helps. remember any loss is good it doesn't have to be 5 lbs to be proud of.

Yeah definitely add some more markers. Weight is alright as a final goal, as an intermediate goal its not reliable or efficient. Its like trying to find a bird nest by following the bird. You'll get there but you'll definitely have taken the longest hardest way. Get body fat and inches measurements, they should be your map and compass.

Wow, if you're down 42 lbs. from 2.5 months ago, I'd say you're doing AMAZING!!! Whatever you're doing seems to be working in a BIG WAY. How many total inches have you lost? (Do you know how to do this? - It's in the book).

My answer to your original post: it's breakfast. You shouldn't wait that long. Presumably you don't sleep at work, so there is time to cram in breakfast before you start putting out fires - perhaps you just need to commit to getting a quick breakfast organized for yourself before you go to bed.

Anway, if you're really losing weight this fast, you should relax a bit. Your'e doing fine

Hi, some good messages posted but some seem a little harsh as well - considering you would have had to have the confidence to post the struggle so far.

All the meat was probably helping you gain some muscle.

Looks like you have about 3500 cals per day - reduce this down a bit. Use Tim's calculation for people trying to gain (target weight x 20 = cals, e.g. I'm 152lbs but want to be 162, so 162 x 20 = 3240 cals). Maybe you could adapt this by using your target weight x 15 or something??

Replace some of the red meat for white meat to cut the fat content.

Add more veg.

Reduce the use of cooking oils. Maybe use cooking spray or get a 'George Foreman-style' griller.

If you cut your portion sizes in half, try drinking a glass of water with some psyllium in it before you eat, it will help you feel full until you get use to the change. You will lose weight. Good Luck!

Hi, Eight. So, first of all, congrats on making a choice to do something healthy. I know it is frustrating to work hard at something and not see results. And, I am certainly no expert on T4HB, however, I did notice some stuff that might be contributing to your lack of progress:

1. On page 95, Tim states: "Mistake #1: Not eating within one hour of waking, preferably within 30 minutes".

2. On page 97, Tim outlines: "Mistake #3: Not drinking enough water". You didn't state how much water you are consuming, but keep in mind that at your size and with the amount of calories you are consuming, you probably need even more than the specified 64+ ounces per day.

3. Also, it seems like you are having a difficult time following your "Binge Days". Tim outlines (on page 104 of T4HB) "Principle #1" of "The Lost Art of Bingeing", in which he states that you should start your "binge day" with 30g of protein within 30 minutes of getting up; consume a small quantity of fructose before the second meal of the day (first "crap" meal); use AGG or PAGG to help reduce the amount of insulin released; and, to consume citric juices during the "binge day". (I am having a pretty dramatic weight "bounce-back" following my binge days, so I am going to follow this religiously on my next "cheat day".)

4. You didn't say anything about your elimination (can't believe I'm writing about this ), but I find I have a difficult time with this. Tim recommends (pg. 105 of T4HB) that you consume caffeine during "the most crap-laden meals". I have found that adding a tablespoon of Benefiber to my water in the morning and evening really keeps the plumbing working, too.

5. You didn't say if you'd done your pre-measurements and tracked your 30-day measurements. If you haven't done this, I really encourage you to do so! I find that when the numbers on the scale are most discouraging, the numbers from measurements are most encouraging! And, goodness knows! We all need encouragement, right?

I had some slow results too, and found that I had made some rather large mistakes my first few weeks. Also, I encourage you to "listen to your body". Each of us is different. Pay attention to how you feel compared to what you are eating. I happen to believe that "diet soda" is NOT my friend. I get a huge "jolt" followed by a tremendous "energy crash" from these things. So, despite loving Diet Coke, I avoid it.

I really admire your determination to make a healthy change, and for sticking your guns despite rather disconcerting results. I hope you will find your pace with this regimen. Please let us all know how you are doing.

ya i believe water intake should be at roughly Half your body weight(lbs) in oz for high speed metabolic function. As most of your BMR is osmosis. However I don't know how that number was calculated. So I can't tell you precisely for someone so high above the median. cuz 250 oz water is a lot and even water is fatal at high doses. I'd definitely recommend pushing hydration to its limits though. Its excellent for nutrient transference and delivery.

1. You are eating a ton of fat. It might not be much when you judge each meal separately, which is arguable by the way, but since you're eating around 5-7 meals a day and each is pretty significant in size, your total fat intake seems quite big.

I would cut that fat a lot. Scratch that, I'd cut the meal quantity in half. Fill yourself 3 times or 4 times a day, but don't eat at other times. Try to put some more veggies in your diet - beans, lentils, tomatoes, lettuce, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, carrots, onions, spinach, there's plenty of options. It might not be your favorite thing to eat, I'm with you there, but that's what's gonna make the difference. It WILL take some space in your stomach which otherwise would have to be filled with meat and fat, which will contribute less to your weight loss.

2. I think this one's gonna prove to be even more important, actually.

Your body is probably quite big. A normal-sized person should get around 2 liters of water a day. 8 big nice cups of water.

I'm around 240 pounds in weight, and my body seems to require quite a bit more. Around 12 cups a day. I'm very well aware of my hydration level, I love drinking probably more than eating. Always have. A bigger body requires more fluids because the digestion system is much larger, and there's a lot more cells to keep hydrated.

A basic rule when it comes to drinking is having at least one clear urine every day. Check the color of your urine when you go to the toilet. If it's clear, you're doing good. If it's not, then drink a couple of cups of water right after you pee. That's what I usually do, and it works great.

Also, drink 2-3 big cups of water right away when you wake up. That gets things moving in the body after losing so much fluids overnight.

Drink more, I assure you 2 liters is not near enough for you. You are 4 times bigger than the average person, and the average person needs 2 liters.

I'm having the same problem myself - I'm quite a bit larger than most people. I have come to the realization that whatever works for me, well, works in half for others many times. I usually need up to 2 times more food to get full, I get thirsty more often, I sweat a lot more, and I get hungry a lot more. So when I go on a diet, I take that into consideration. Being in your situation must be a lot harder, so you can start by lowering your amounts 20-30% at a time, until you reach proper meal frequencies and sizes.

Listen, plain and simple you are getting way too many calories. I dont count calories, but I have been keeping an eye on them. I do know I am below 3,000 calories a day. I started at 292lbs 8 days ago. This morning I was down 9 lbs. That was 2 days after my first cheat day. For now I would suggest staying below 3500 calories. You should see some pretty quick movement at that range. You can lower that as you lose weight. The beans are really keeping me from getting too hungry. I know that is a problem with us big guys. I didnt go nuts on my cheat day. I would say 5000 calories or so. I would suggest the same for you. Good luck to you.

Tomatoes, cut them back or out. High sugar content and at your weight it is likely you are significantly insulin resistant. The diet is designed to let you eat comfortably, and not feel hungry but looks like you are still around 3000 calories a day which is probably at or above your basal level. If you cut out the grease and bacon and go to more chicken you will cut the fat down while keeping the protein high and you may start to see more progress. As mentioned before, up the veggies...I cook up giant handfuls of veggies. Many cups of spinach cooks way down. Also, as mentioned, beans and lentils, then more beans and lentils...and did I mention beans and lentils? They are suppose to be the bulk of your intake with the veggies and the protein is the smaller part. Your intake is seemingly mostly protein and fat which is great for gaining muscle...which is probably happening as well so there may be fat loss going on but no weight loss...yet. Remember, the premise is to hack the human body, so experiment...if it doesnt work after a week or two, change it up. Also remember, it took a long time to get to that weight and it is going to take some time for it to come off.

Last but ot least...water water water. This way of eating requires a big time water intake and you should be losing a lot of water weight initially. At your size, you may not be getting enough water, particularly with that much fatty meat intake. That can definitely stall you. Up the intake some more and be prepared to pee...a LOT. Also, dont neglect the potassium and magnesium...they are going to get flushed. I am down to 192 from 204 in my 5th week and I drink 3 to 3.5 liters a day.

been watching my water, i normally get just over 2 liters a day. i can do 3 if i have salty stuff. i think its going to be very hard to have 3 liters or more wihout having salty stuff. ill try to work on this too though :/

There were a lot of good responses to your post so I'll try not to repeat much.

Some other factors might include:

Where do you live and who do you hang out with?

Culture/Environment play a HUGE role in how we eat and feel.

If you are having trouble getting your 30 within 30 in the am, try SCD approved protein shakes in a pinch or just make a reheatable items in advance.

If you're putting out fires all day at work, especially in the morning, be careful what foods you have around, as eating under stress can change the way your body processes food.

Of course drop the grease, fatty meats, and up the veg. Try ghee instead of grease or lard. If you must have bacon (and I am in this camp) dice it up so it's mixed into you food for flavor, not as a side item. I find stir fries and egg scrambles are better for me because they mix up all the flavors so the bites of meat accent the veg.

Food on the go can be hard. Leftovers are best if you can. When I cook, I try to cook double and save 1/2 for later.

Avoid chains for cheat day. A local diner will usually be able to cook up all your favorites and cravings with half the crap. Case in point: sausage, egg & cheese; homemade = under 250 calories, Dunkin' Donuts = over 500 calories

I disagree with the calorie counting, in fact, we are supposed to eat MORE calories than normal on this diet. Re-read what Tim has to say about not calorie counting and portions. Just the fact that Tim says that any time you're hungry you should have another SCD meal should be a clue!